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The Asteroids

Dreamed and painted by Forrest Bess, 1946; series of four paintings with the dream typed on their backs.

Dream painting 'Asteroid 1' by Forrest Bess, 1946.


PAINTING 1 (to right)

First I noticed them moving to the left. They were in small groups. In the heavens also were continents--great masses of greens and the planets that had not yet moved.

The darkness had separated itself from space and had formed into cloudlike masses. Dream painting 'Asteroid 2' by Forrest Bess, 1946.

PAINTING 2 (to left)

Next, they gathered themselves into a pattern of kaleidoscopic beauty--the darkness becoming solid space and each asteroid upon impact became as a twinkling star and a design.

The heavens were beautiful. Dream painting 'Asteroid 3' by Forrest Bess, 1946.

PAINTING 3 (to right)

I went inside and stood at the back of the church and the preacher was preaching. He was a man in a great black coat. I knew I should not walk towards him while he was preaching but I did. When I reached him he was a dull-eyed man looking to one side. I asked him if he had seen the asteroids and he said "No." I led him outside.

While I had been inside the formation was going on in the heavens. All the particles were gathering. I sensed great speed. Then I realized we were on an asteroid too, and were nearing the formation. Dream painting 'Asteroid 4' by Forrest Bess, 1946.

PAINTING 4 (to lower left)

There was a long caravan of trucks, automobiles, and people moving away into the darkness. Two men on a motorcycle, at the end of the caravan, stopped and watched the formation. We were near. I got a glimpse of a huge black tower among great windowless buildings.

I knew I would not be crushed by the impact so I encouraged my weak-eyed companion and we walked forward.

Around the corner of a great white building I would be in a new place. I was very happy.

Forrest Bess -- San Antonio--1946

EDITOR'S NOTE

Bess mostly painted abstracts of hypnogogic visions/dreams--brief images flashing on the visual field in a half-awake state (for five examples, see Bess). But occasionally he painted REM dreams, with plots, characters and texts. This is the only complete set I know. Bess occasionally worried he was just projecting otherworldly symbolism onto his hypnogogic images; but here, his dream's running the show, and where does it take us? Swimmin' with the asteroids!

--Chris Wayan 2024--

SOURCE: Forrest Bess: Key to the Riddle by Chuck Smith, 2013, pp.52-55.



LISTS AND LINKS: other worlds - religion - Christianity - holy places - blindness & denial - towers - house & home - guides (including yourself!) - more fun among the asteroids: Martian Robots Dress Like Freud - hypnogogic images by Bess - dream paintings - abstraction - take The Grand Tour round the Solar System!

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